


Seared Hearts

by fuure, Wander_Seeker



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, M/M, Vegetarians & Vegans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:14:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6550378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuure/pseuds/fuure, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wander_Seeker/pseuds/Wander_Seeker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a vegan cafe run by a foreigner opens up across the street from a popular steakhouse, Head Chef Sebastian has his doubts that it will even last the month.<br/>Surprisingly enough, the men at the steakhouse can't help but love sweet, humble owner Agni. However, when racist threats steadily grow more severe towards him, the steaks have never been higher, and Sebastian takes it upon himself to help.</p>
<p>[This is an RP done on tumblr.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions

It was a relatively typical day for Sebastian. As Head Chef at ‘Silver Ranch Steakhouse’, he was at work an hour before opening to get his station ready. While unloading his ingredients for the day, his gaze was drawn across the street. There was a relatively new store that had moved in. From the look of it, it was a vegan health store/cafe of some kind named the ‘Touch of Kali’, and people had taken to vandalizing it quite aggressively. While he knew some vegans could be extreme, he doubted they deserved such regular property damage.

It was not, however, the damage that had drawn his eye, but the man cleaning it up. It was the first Sebastian had ever seen of the owner, and boy was he something to look at. Tall and fit with striking caramel skin and silver hair. Not realizing he’d been staring, the raven haired male jumped slightly when the man across the street started grinning and waving at him.

Readjusting the box of steaks in his arms, Sebastian gave a small grin and waved back in response. He was being polite of course, the raven haired man rationalized as he continued setting up his station. There was no way a vegan store owner would want to talk to a steak chef. Vegans seemed to hate anyone who even came in contact with meat. Let alone those who cooked and sold it.

At Sebastian’s side was the corporate accountant, William T. Spears. He had also been watching the poor vegan shop owner once again scrubbing tirelessly at graffiti covering his storefront.  
“Truly an unfortunate thing. It’s hard enough running a vegan place around here, but…when you’re a foreigner…”  
Mr. Spears himself was Eurasian, Anglo-Japanese, and even being from corporate he had still felt the effects of this city’s rampant xenophobia. 

Adjusting his glasses calmly, he added, “I’m not sure the poor fellow will last to the end of the month.”  
Like Sebastian, his glacial eyes lingered on the flawless physique of the store owner, and he sighed.  
“What a pity.”  
“It’s ridiculous,” Sebastian replied. “People are people. It doesn’t matter where they come from.” While he knew not many other people shared his opinion, he figured it was worth stating. And at hearing Mr. Spears’ comment about not lasting the month, Sebastian silently resolved to buy something there after his shift. He wasn’t anywhere near vegan, but at very least he knew spices. Everyone had spices.

Then they were called inside.

On the other side of the street, vegan store owner Agni Thaman wiped the sweat of the morning sun from his brow. He’d seen the men across the street watching him, and made sure to give them a friendly greeting before pulling his shirt back on. Another job well done.  
The bright side of all this was that he got a good workout! It was always hard to find time to stay in shape when you worked so late.

Today’s graffiti was that of a sniper target symbol. To the common eye it might have just seemed to mean that somebody was targeting Agni’s store. The actual meaning was a little more sinister; the ‘target’ symbol had racist undertones: as many Indians (including Agni) had some sort of mark in the centre of their forehead, racists liked to call it a ‘target’ to assist when shooting them.  
It had to be just a silly threat though, Agni thought dismissively, and headed back into the shade of his store to open up. 

 

The ‘Silver Ranch’ Steakhouse was rather progressive. It was a blend of open-house cooking, sort of Korean BBQ-esque, where the customers could watch their food being cooked live by very, very handsome chefs. Several of the staff were openly gay, William included.  
Mr. Spears had done his reading on the vegan place across the street, he knew Agni made all the food himself and he couldn’t help but lament not having Agni on the payroll.  
It would obviously colour them as even more diverse, which was a bonus. Ah, well.  
Having set up his station in time for the restaurant’s opening. Sporting a suggestive smirk and a wink, he got to work cooking for the customers that had chosen to sit closest to him. It was the main gimmick of the place, aside from seasoned and cooked-to-order steaks that is, having only attractive chefs had greatly boosted business and sales. A dish recommendation and a drink suggestion accompanied by a wink was usually enough to encourage the customers to buy more expensive items.

As the day pulled on, Sebastian frequently found his eyes wandering from his work and customers to the vegan place. The shopkeeper seemed to be a bit proactive in attempting to draw customers and restocking what was sold during the day. More than once, the raven haired man had gotten distracted enough to nearly burn an order. Fortunately a pretty smile and well placed compliment to the looks of the customer had defused the situation as he saved the well done steak. Even so, he found it difficult to stop watching the exotic man across the street whenever he came into view.

Across the street, Agni was swamped. Three customers an hour? That was two more than he’d ever had so far. What an excellent day! Agni was highly grateful to his gods for this prosperity. It was almost hard to keep up!  
And then, an hour before closing, in strolled one of the model chefs from across the street. Agni stood up behind the counter, tall and elegant, and he smiled sunnily. 

“Namaste jii,” he greeted with a neat bow. “I hope you are well.”  
As Sebastian had entered the storefront, he’d first been hit by the smell. It was very aromatic and unique. While he recognized quite a few of the scents, there were others that were fairly new to him. The second thing that had struck him was being greeted by the man who had been distracting him all day. Flashing his signature smirk/grin, the raven haired man approached the counter as calmly as he could.

“I hope the same can be said for you,” he had meant it for once as well. It had not escaped Sebastian how business seemed to be marginally better for him today, and the sunny smile that came from him seemed oddly contagious. Brushing the pleasantness aside as simply ‘customer habit’, he took the seat he’d been lead to with a small word of thanks.

Looking over the menu, Sebastian couldn’t say he really recognized any of the dishes. A few sounded interesting, but he really had no idea how they’d taste. Laying down the menu, he decided that he’d ask for a recommendation rather than playing the guessing game with unfamiliar food.

“Thank you, sir. Today has been tremendous,” Agni responded brightly, tilting his head when Sebastian asked for a recommendation.  
“Ah, today’s special is a chocolate, cherry and honeycomb parfait. Would you be interested? Perhaps you would like a beverage?” 

Parfait. That sounded very sweet. Even so, the sunny smile and slight nervous tinge to the store keeper’s voice was enough persuasion for Sebastian. After all, a sweet treat was better than something that may or may not end up tasting like grass.

“The parfait sounds good,” Sebastian replied with a small grin of his own, “A black coffee would also be nice.” The raven haired man had spotted the coffee machine on his way in, so at least that was something he knew would be good drink wise.

Agni was warm and welcoming, but there was a hint of inexperienced nerves…especially when dealing with such a handsome customer. Agni ran the shop all on his own. After all, having a scarce income of customers meant he couldn’t even afford to hire more staff.  
It was always just him, on his own.

Silently, Sebastian wondered why the other was nervous. It could have been because of where Sebastian worked or that another customer had been particularly nasty today. There was also the possibility of it having to do with his looks, but it was usually young women that were unnerved by that. Even so, his red-brown eyes remained trained on the store keep as he worked. Agni if the nametag was correct.

“Right away! I will be but a moment, friend.”  
Agni bowed respectfully and traipsed off to prepare Sebastian’s meal. 

He did work by himself, but Agni had something going for him. He was highly skilled, highly trained, and happened to believe that his right hand had been blessed by the goddess Kali.  
She had cleansed it in her fires, and imbued it with the strength of a goddess. When it wasn’t bound in latex rubber gloves for food preparation, Agni wrapped it in a neat bandage. His blessing was not for everyday people to gaze at, nor should it touch less holy things.

But Agni was sweet and humble, and just wanted to make nice, humane food that would not offend the gods or the earth.  
Within five minutes, he had returned with a neat slice of parfait and a black coffee.  
“Thank you for your patience. I truly hope it is to your enjoyment.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian’s voice had come in reply to the well wishing of the storekeeper as he returned with the food. The raven haired male had watched Agni’s every move as he prepared the dish, or what he could see anyway. The man was efficient, fluid, and clearly well practiced. Not a single movement had been without reason. And Sebastian couldn’t help but stare a bit as the silver haired male’s muscles flexed beneath his work clothes as he moved.

Taking a bite of the food, the raven haired male had to admit that it tasted good. With him not being too fond of sweets, that was a rather notable achievement. It wasn’t sugar laden like most parfaits. Instead Agni seemed to play off of the natural flavors and sweetness of the ingredients. It was impressive and something that Sebastian rather appreciated.

Having finished the treat and coffee, Sebastian’s gaze glanced over the rest of the store before heading to the front to pay his bill. On his way to the counter, the raven haired man had detoured slightly to grab jars of dill weed and mustard powder. He personally liked to flavor scrambled eggs with the spices and was fairly certain Agni wasn’t going to complain.

“You are an excellent cook, Agni,” Sebastian had praised as he was rung up, “The natural flavors were well balanced and served as sufficient sweetener for the parfait.” While he was sure Agni knew this, the raven haired man figured complimenting the chef could never really hurt.  
Agni looked like he’d just been told Diwali had come early. A warm blush spread across his honey-toned skin, and he smiled broadly.  
“You are too kind, sir. To receive a compliment from a professional chef such as yourself…I-I…”  
How embarrassing, he’d gone and gotten all flustered in front of a customer. Well…they never often looked like that. 

“Thank you,” he finished, clearing his throat. “I hope you’ll come back sometime. I was thinking that tomorrow, I would run you all a tray of non-dairy coffee, because you all seem to be working so hard and it is very admirable. Do you think anyone would be interested?” he asked, self-consciously toying with his little braid as he accepted payment from his customer. 

Could this man get any cuter? The way Agni’s cheeks visibly flushed and his speech stuttered made him seem very sweet and embarrassed, and his fidgeting with his braid only added to the effect. Sebastian felt a small blush and grin creep over his own face at Agni’s reaction.  
Tilting his head to the side a bit, Sebastian let his gaze soften a bit at the prospect of seeing the caramel-skinned man tomorrow as well. He didn’t seem to bear any ill will against the Steakhouse or its workers. What a pleasant surprise.

“I’m sure William, our corporate accountant, would be as flattered as myself by such a kind act,” Sebastian replied, continuing to grin as he paid for the food and spices, “Any decent person should be.” He had noticed the way his superior had been staring as well. Business wise, William might be open to contracting with Agni to serve his coffee at the Steakhouse with how it tasted.

And honestly, he figured that people should be receptive of coffee at the very least. He knew it was hard for people of other ethnicities to get along around here, but he doubted anyone would refuse free coffee so early in the morning. And Agni seemed so sweet that he found it hard to think anyone would dislike him even after a short interaction with him.

“I look forward to it!” Agni chirped, extending his left hand to shake Sebastian’s as opposed to his right, which bandaged at his side. Sebastian had simply been civil, and yet that made him one of the best customers Agni had received in his short week at the Touch of Kali vegan cafe and health food store.  
He bowed once more afterwards, as Sebastian prepared to leave. The poor Indian’s cheeks were positively glowing as he waved him out.  
“As do I.” Sebastian had accentuated his reply with a slight nod of the head as he reached out his hand to grip Agni’s. For a moment he wondered why the left, but the bandages that covered the other were enough of an answer. Burns were common and if his hand was injured, it would make sense to minimize the use of it.

The sun was low in the sky now. Agni knew he’d have to close up soon before the thugs of the city crawled out of the woodwork. 

“Perhaps I’ll see what’s on your menu!” the Indian offered brightly at the last minute. He felt a little embarrassed; it was a damned steakhouse. He’d be lucky to get an edible salad. Agni sort of kicked himself then and disappeared into the back of the shop. Maybe Sebastian hadn’t heard.  
Stupid, stupid….

As the raven haired man moved out the front door, he’d been surprised at hearing the caramel-toned man’s last minute addition. He had just turned to add that he could make him a salad or some grilled vegetables if he wanted, only to watch him disappear into the back of the store. Oh well. He could always offer tomorrow if Agni was still interested in the menu.  
Crossing the street to retrieve his car from the employee parking lot, Sebastian still had a small grin tugging at his lips. Agni was beyond sweet to try and offer potentially getting something from ‘Silver Ranch’. After all, it was the furthest thing from vegan in the area.

Agni stepped out the back to get a few breaths of fresh air. Oh, gods… Agni’s bad habit was showing. What a weakness he had for attractive, suave men.  
After sipping some cool cucumber water, the Hindu felt a little more invigorated and clear-headed.  
It was not nice to think, but it was more than likely Sebastian had ulterior motives when he came into the store today. 

Agni closed up shop right on time and headed home to feed his many stray cats, hoping that his store would be left untouched during the night.


	2. Chapter 2

  
  
It was not to be. Arriving at dawn the following morning, a sleepy Agni just raised the security door, with its assortment of racist threats, and shuffled inside to set up. Today, he would have to make the most flawless coffees to please the professionals who worked over at the Silver Ranch.  
  
Arriving at work at his usual time the next morning, Sebastian couldn’t help but notice the new vandalism. The racist punks who thought it was funny to do that were lucky he wasn’t around to catch them. Not only was it destructive but also, now knowing who owned the shop, incredibly insulting to the owner’s character.  
  
Sighing and preparing his station for the day, the raven-haired man turned his attention to William. He might as well alert the man that Agni was bringing coffee over. It would hopefully do well to plant the concept beforehand to anyone within earshot as well.  
  
“Agni, the vegan store owner, has decided to bring us coffee this morning,” Sebastian’s voice had been loud enough for the rest of the people in the room to hear despite seeming to address William directly with his gaze, “I sincerely hope everyone can at least behave themselves.”  
  
The last sentence had been accentuated by Sebastian’s red-brown gaze wandering the room. With the rampant racism around town, he had a feeling some people may have such a sentiment brewing in them. If that was the case, he wanted everyone to know that there would be trouble for aggressive behavior.  
William spent less time at corporate and more time at the establishment itself, so he got considerable say in the staff that were hired and fired by Employment. As such, he made sure to vouch for staff who were skilled and professional, but also of good character.   
The Silver Ranch staff were not perturbed by the idea of the Indian man bringing them a damn cup of coffee. They were tired.   
  
“Seb,” spoke up one of the servers, “if it’s got caffeine in it, I don’t give a shit who brings it.”   
This was Ronald Knox, one of the flirty servers. His comment drew a few chuckles of agreement from the rest of the staff.   
Chuckling a bit at Ronald’s comment  as well, Sebastian continued to set up his station. At least the feeling was mutual. It would seem he was concerned without much reason to it. The morning went as usual if not a bit slow. No one seemed to be really complaining about that.  
  
Agni made his appearance around lunchtime, bearing a box, and in the box was several trays of steaming hot non-dairy coffee, and mini green tea cakes.   
When he entered, he looked around nervously, searching for Sebastian. Only when he saw him did he let out a little smile of relief, and shifted the box into his left hand to give him a small wave.   
  
Upon seeing Agni enter the restaurant, the raven-haired man had returned the wave and gone over to assist with the box. Ushering the caramel-skinned man through the room, Sebastian set about helping him set the coffee and snacks up in the employee area. Snagging a snack and drink for himself, the raven-haired man gave Agni a welcoming smile.  
  
“I know you don’t eat meat,” Sebastian began as he quickly downed the coffee, “But would you allow me to make you a grilled vegetable salad as a thank you? On the house of course.”  
  
Sebastian’s station happened to be unoccupied, and any excuse to be able to look at Agni longer was a good one. Finishing off the mini green tea cake, the raven-haired man flashed him his winning smile as he shifted ever so slightly back toward his station.  
Luckily for Ronald, Agni’s coffees were not decaf (although he did bring two decafs along, just in case anyone preferred that.) The sweet Indian giant stood close to his one friend while the employees filed in and grabbed one.   
  
“Ah, it tastes just like normal coffee!” someone announced, and others nodded in agreement. Making vegan things taste like ‘normal food’ was the best way to help people accept a better lifestyle.   
  
Agni went immediately red when he figured out that Sebastian had heard his last comment yesterday and decided to offer him a grilled vegetable salad. Of course, Agni hadn’t had time for breakfast, and he was starving. This might have been the only reason he accepted Sebastian’s offer and took a polite seat in one of the back corners of the dining area.  
  
William approached, and the cool executive was almost a little flustered when he thanked Agni for his kindness and offered a contract. Agni was quite an imposing figure, despite being the sweet cinnamon roll that he was.   
“Ne, Seb,” said Ronald, sidling up to Sebastian with his coffee, “do you think Will kinda likes that guy? He seems a lil’...hot un’er the collar, if y’know what I mean?”  
Ronald wasn’t exactly smiling. He positively adored William, and everyone in the building knew it except for the oblivious accountant himself.

 

Sebastian had been a bit disappointed Agni hadn’t chosen a seat nearer his station. Although, it was likely due to how people had been treating him. The sweet man was likely shy as well. Seeing William approach the silver haired male, Sebastian turned his attention to the vegetables and spices he was working together for savory yet slightly sweet hot salad.  
  
Hearing Ronald’s inquiry, the raven-haired man stiffened a bit. Of course he’d noticed William’s slightly nervous behavior. Who could really blame him for being attracted and/or intimidated by the sun-kissed man. Looking at the interaction however, he let out a soft sigh.  
  
“I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, Ronald,” Sebastian replied as he mentally compared Agni’s interaction with William against himself, “Agni’s seems very sweet. I doubt he’d even notice or care if Will was flirting.” Flashing Ronald a reassuring grin, the raven-haired man began plating the hot salad with a light honey walnut vinaigrette.  
  
The interaction that Agni was displaying with William was kind and sweet, yet different from the way he’d behave with him. Sebastian couldn’t quite place how it seemed different. It just did.  
  
“Thank you for waiting.” Sebastian flashed Agni a smile as he presented the salad, hoping it was to the Indian’s liking. He didn’t usually make vegetable-only dishes, but he knew flavors and spices. He’d often been praised for his food tasting good regardless of the ingredients or circumstances. Spotting a customer sit down at his station, Sebastian gave a small bow and went to prepare the next meal.  
William sort of quietly wandered off after the arrangement was made, nervously adjusting his glasses. He looked rather red, and Ronald wasn’t pleased about this at all.   
  
“Noooo, he likes him, I can tell!” he whined.   
“Hang in there Ron,” Sebastian’s reply had been accented by a soft Pat on the shoulder as he went off to serve the salad. Ronald was known to be a bit out there when it came to socializing, so the raven-haired male had been surprised a bit when William wasn’t getting the full picture. Then again, the man was more reserved than most.  
  
Agni having just been served his salad, he thanked Sebastian warmly and began to eat. It was of no surprise to the Hindu that the whole thing was absolutely delicious.   
It was like a breath of fresh air in this restaurant that smelled of nothing but slaughtered animals…along with a few nice spices.   
He glanced up, noticed Sebastian staring at him, and responded with a sunny grin.   
  
Having deposited the food, Sebastian continued to watch Agni. Glancing over and even staring when his cooking would allow it. Seeing the grin being directed at him when he was caught, Sebastian’s cheeks flushed a bit as he returned the smile. It was obvious the Indian was enjoying the salad. Something he was grateful for.  
  
The meal itself was perfectly fine, but towards the end when Agni was mopping up the last of the vinaigrette drizzle with a lettuce leaf, something abruptly smacked him in the face and dropped square onto the centre of his plate.   
Agni looked down, and identified a fried shrimp as the culprit.   
With wide eyes, he looked up and saw a family of four some distance away avoiding looking at him.   
  
The….the poor shrimp. It’d been decapitated, had its skin peeled off, its guts yanked out, and then it was fried on a grill.   
  
Just as Sebastian’s gaze had turned to the newest customer at his station, a flying projectile caught his eye; a shrimp thrown by a less than pleased looking individual at another table. And it had just hit Agni in the face.   
Growling a bit, the raven-haired man chopped off a bit of steak from the grill and, with all the flare of a performer, sent it flying at the offending customer. Despite the table being nearly on the other end of the restaurant from him, it hit the offender directly in the forehead.  
  
With trembling hands, Agni wiped his cheek where he’d been hit and stood up. Stifling a little sob, the poor sensitive Indian ducked his head and hurried out of the restaurant before anyone could approach him.  
  
Just as Sebastian was about to ‘apologize’ for ‘accidentally’ flinging food, Agni bolting out the door drew his gaze. The kind honey-skinned man looked like he was crying too. Fixing a sharp glare on the customer, the raven-haired man decided against apologizing.  
  
“Disrupting another customer’s meal gives me the right to refuse you four service,” said Sebastian coldly.  
Technically, legally, this was true, despite most employees not enforcing it, “Leave.” Sebastian had no intention of leaving room for argument or discussion. He’d be more than happy to fling something much hotter at them if they decided to argue.  
  
All he’d gotten was a short outburst and a whole lot of grumbling as they left. Something along the lines of never coming back and telling the internet about this. Sebastian didn’t much care about that. One bad review was worth making a point.  
  
William had watched on in stunned horror as Sebastian pegged a piece of meat at the offending customer.   
When the altercation was finished, the executive promptly dragged Sebastian out the back to lecture him.   
“Damn it, Michaelis. Are you trying to get us shut down? Perhaps sued?” he snapped, adjusting his glasses rapidly as was his tic.   
  
“Your displeasure is understood, believe me. What was done to Mr. Thaman was highly unfortunate, and we will tolerate nothing of the sort on our premises. But you cannot assault customers like that! Just kick them out. Institute a ban if you’re that pissed off about it, but do not resort to physical harassment. Honestly.”  
  
Sebastian was rather used to William’s lectures. He’s done a few things in the past that had gotten him chewed out, so he knew what the look the spectacled man was shooting him meant. As such, he’d gone out back with him at the silent demand. As the lecture went, the raven-haired male couldn’t help but smirk at his annoyed superior.  
  
“I thought you would have been pleased,” Sebastian practically teased as he shifted to lean against the wall, “Especially with how hot under the collar you got just from talking business with Agni.” Of course he’d known that William would never had been pleased by such an action. He just liked to get a jab in here or there when the opportunity presented itself.  
They had their disagreements, yet were relatively friendly with each other. Nothing overtly hostile in the end. The raven-haired man was just in the sort of mood to fluster William further. Letting out a sigh, Sebastian let the smirk disappear as he came to stand up properly again.  
  
“It won’t happen again,” he began in a more serious tone as he made eye contact with his superior, “I will follow the proper code of conduct should the situation arise in the future.” He knew full well there would be consequences for his actions regardless of what he said. Even so, he was not going to regret doing it.  
William narrowed his eyes at Sebastian’s sly comment, then let out an indignant huff. Sebastian got under his skin so easily, and it wasn’t easy to pretend like he didn’t.   
“I think you’re imagining things,” he grumbled, and strode back inside to go work on some spreadsheets. Ronald followed him to make an attempt at conversation. William was prickly and not in the mood.   
  
Meanwhile, Agni had hurried across the road back to his own shop, and abruptly swung the ‘Closed’ sign around on his door. The Touch of Kali didn’t reopen for the rest of the day. The distraught Indian went to spend his time elsewhere, mostly repenting. He stopped by a soup kitchen and did some volunteer work there. He wanted to go to a Hindu temple, but there wasn’t one in this town, and Agni only owned a bicycle, so he refreshed his spiritual self by simply meditating in a park.   
  
He’d been so rude to leave without thanking Sebastian for the free meal, and figured that was why Sebastian didn’t come back to his shop for several days. Agni still obediently delivered coffee, though William met him at the front door to take it for some reason, so they never met up.  
  
Wandering back into the restaurant himself, Sebastian finished out the day without further incident. Though it did not escape his notice that ‘ _The Touch Of Kali’_ was closed for the rest of the day.  
  
Given that and the fact that Agni hadn’t come back inside the place for the next few days had given Sebastian the impression that the Indian no longer cared to see him. Clearly the caramel-toned man had been offended by the shrimp incident. He didn’t exactly blame him for feeling slighted. As such, he had been staying away from going to the vegan cafe. As much as he felt hurt by the seemingly sudden distance, Sebastian could take the hints. It seemed clear that Agni didn’t want to see him anymore.

 

 **End chap 2**  


 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw violence, slurs

After about a week of this behavior, Sebastian’s attention had been drawn across the street. It was a Saturday night, so things had been a bit busy and he was leaving later than usual. As he closed up, he noticed that there seemed to be some sort of altercation involving Agni and what looked like some punks.   
  
Whether or not Agni wanted to see him, Sebastian figured he should step in. Even a minor altercation could turn sour given the right type of aggressor.    
  
Sebastian for one did not want to see Agni in any more distress than had already been caused. Squaring his shoulders to look a bit larger than he already was, the raven-haired man started making his way across the street.   
  
“Gentlemen, there’s no need for violence,” Agni began, his hands held out as a sign of peace. It was four on one, and they were armed with various metal items: one a baseball bat, another a pipe, another a gun. The last one had a crowbar, and was casually breaking the door in.    
“Y-you can take what’s in the till– th-there should be about $7.00,” Agni tried to negotiate, but they weren’t interested in the money.    
  
“We’ve given you enough warning to get the fuck outta town, raghead. Now we’re here to teach you a lesson. Bring him round the back, boys.”    
  
A state of pandemonium was unleashed. Agni was an accomplished martial artist himself, and feared he might have to resort to violence when diplomacy failed. It started when they yanked his turban off, and that had blinded him for the split second they needed to begin beating him violently. One swift pipe to the head left him too disoriented to fight back, and a heel to the solar plexus winded him so he couldn’t move.

  
It hadn’t taken long for Sebastian to see all hell break loose. He’d been about halfway across the street when the first blow was struck. Going from a walk to a sprint, the raven-haired man was as quick as he could be to intervene.   
  
Delivering a sharp punch to the head of the man with the pipe allowed him to grip the man’s arm and weapon. As the sickening sound of bone snapping had echoed, Sebastian had relived the man of his weapon and turned it on the other aggressors.   
  
One hit of a baseball bat over his back had caused him to kneel, but he sure as hell wasn’t going down that easy. Releasing a growl, the raven-haired man had driven himself into the legs of the man with the crowbar, smacking him to the ground and striking him harshly across the head with the pipe.   
  
Turning toward the other two, Sebastian had narrowly avoided being shot as the wail of the gun pierced the night. A kick to the gunman’s abdomen and a pipe across the back had taken him down. Taking the opportunity, Sebastian grabbed and trained the firearm on the only remaining attacker while blocking Agni with his own body.   
  
“Get the fuck out of here,  _ or so help me I will shoot you!” _

The raven-haired male’s demand had been accentuated by the cocking of the gun. The attacker and his ‘friends’ had been more than happy to retreat under the barrel of a gun. Sebastian had waited for them to disappear into the night before lowering the weapon and turning to face Agni.   
  
“Are you alright?” The raven-haired man’s question had been laden with concern as he took in the aftermath of the situation.   
Agni was wide-eyed and frozen with fear, especially after the gun went off. Slowly, his eyes met Sebastian’s, and he burst into tears. Oh, this was horrible. Absolutely, inconceivably horrible.    
Agni had a few cuts and bruises, including one on his temple from the pipe that was bleeding openly. He also figured that the one who stepped on his solar plexus had cracked a rib, but the gods would see to his healing. He couldn’t afford medical care of any sort.  He’d also lost bladder control when his ribs had been broken, and to be seen like this, sitting in a pool of warm golden piss, was mortifying.    
  
“M-M-Mr. Sebastian,” he uttered, drawing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face. “I-I’m so sorry I got you involved…p-please, don’t look at me. I’m so ashamed,” he hiccuped, fresh blood staining his silver hair that glistened under the moonlight. “Please go…”   
Taking in the scene, Sebastian’s own eyes widened at Agni’s state. Somehow, he seemed to have gotten cuter when injured and ashamed. Shaking his head at being told to leave, the raven hair man hoped the dim light would hide the blush that had crept over his cheeks as he knelt beside the Indian.   
  
“I am not leaving you like this,” Sebastian’s voice had been firm as he used a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the fresh blood, “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.” Not only was Agni injured, but the raven-haired male was fairly certain that piss soaked pants were highly uncomfortable.   
  
While he did understand the caramel-skinned man’s embarrassment, there was no way he’d leave him alone, especially given his situation. Encouraging Agni to lift his head, Sebastian tried to examine his head for any other bleeding injuries as he waited for the reply. And he would not be taking no for an answer.   
  
In addition to all of this, Agni was mildly concussed from the blow to the head.   
He  was a little slow in his movements, and whimpered as Sebastian raised his head.    
“I-I’ll…take my..myself home,” Agni sniffled, extending one long leg and shakily maneuvering himself to his feet with use of the wall behind him as support. He self-consciously tried to tug his sherwani down to hide his shame, and stumbled off to find his bicycle. He didn’t even bother to pick up his turban in his hurry to get away, but the ground abruptly swung out from under him and he hit the cold stone path with a yelp.    
  
“Nnnah… _ tatti _ …”  he groaned, not sure if he could possibly feel worse than he did right now.   
  
Sebastian had moved to stabilize Agni as he got to his feet. Just as he noticed the turban on the ground, he heard and saw the caramel-skinned man lose his balance and fall. Snatching the cloth off the ground, the raven-haired man quickly hauled Agni onto his feet again. Draping one arm over his shoulders and gripping the bike in his other, Sebastian began maneuvering them in the direction of his car.   
  
“Like hell you are.” While the words could have been sharp, they came out as more of a concerned grumble. Agni was clearly far from alright and he was not letting the man bike home in the dark. Especially as he was. And it couldn’t be far given the fact that he rode a bike to work daily.   
  
“Where do you live?” Sebastian’s question had come again when they’d crossed the street and made it to his car. Moving Agni to lean against the vehicle, the raven-haired man was already loading up the bike. Casting his copper gaze back on Agni as he closed the trunk, Sebastian awaited an answer.   
Agni was hesitant to answer, but he didn’t feel well at all and everything hurt.   
  
He knew perfectly well he couldn’t make it home on his own, but he didn’t want Sebastian to see him in such a pathetic state.   
Sniveling through tears, he muttered, “I l-live in the Eastern Sector. Near the o-old temple.” The one, specifically, that had been burned down around five years ago as an arson-based hate crime.   
“Sebastian…” he began, but he just didn’t have the energy to try to argue. Instead, he changed tactics.    
“I…I don’t want to ruin your seat…You’ve done too much for me, f-friend….”   
  
The poor Indian was clearly distraught. There was one very peculiar thing about the way he cried that alarmed most people, and that thing was hemolacria. The tears that coursed his golden cheeks were red with blood.

  
At Agni’s reply about where he lived, Sebastian gave a short nod. He knew where that was. Relatively anyway. He wasn’t religious himself, but had heard plenty of people, and the news, talk about the arson.   
With the parking lot having better lighting than the sidewalk, the crimson streaks coming from the Indian’s eyes and staining his cheeks were clearly visible. Eyes widening slightly at the sight, the raven-haired man pulled a towel from the back seat to both dab Agni’s eyes and later lay on the seat.   
  
“I don’t care much about the seats,” Sebastian stated in reply to Agni’s supposed concern, “Your well being is a higher priority than a car.” It was clear that the caramel-toned man was embarrassed and uncomfortable. Who wouldn’t be? But if there was one thing he needed to understand, and understand fast, it was the Sebastian Michaelis does what he sets his mind to. Come hell or high water, he was taking Agni home.   
  
“Get in,” the raven-haired man’s order had been accompanied by him laying the towel over the front passenger seat after wiping away Agni’s ruby tears, “I can bandage your injuries once at your apartment.”    
Urging the Indian into the seat, Sebastian made quick work of getting in and speeding off in the direction of the old temple.   
  
Agni whined lowly in response, folding his hands anxiously in his lap. Eastern Sector was really only known for being one thing: dirty and slummish and full of foreigners. He was ashamed to confess that was where he lived, but even more ashamed when they navigated to his actual home. It was above a fast food store, a tiny apartment barely bigger than a bathroom. He demurely climbed the rusty staircase and unlocked the door.    
Several cats scampered out between his wet trouser legs, hurrying off into the night, and Agni turned on the light to illuminate the small, shoddy place.    
  
“U-um…” He turned to Sebastian, his cheeks a warm red. “I…I can take it from here. T-there’s really no need for ….for you to…to do anything else.”   
  
To say the location of Agni’s apartment was dirty would be an understatement. Filthy more like. Sebastian had no doubt that at least one apartment had a cockroach problem. Wrinkling his nose a bit, the raven-haired man already felt awful thinking that someone like Agni was living here. The awful feeling had only been multiplied at getting a glimpse of the tiny living space. And while his attention had been distracted significantly by the scampering cats, the silver-haired man’s comment had brought his attention back to the apartment.   
  
“Absolutely not,” Sebastian replied firmly as he pressed a hand to Agni’s shoulder, “If they know where you work, those thugs know where you live. Besides that, you are hurt and there’s no real telling how badly. I am staying with you until morning to make sure you are safe.”   
  
The last sentence had come out significantly more firm than the rest of it. And while Sebastian wasn’t going to barge into the apartment without permission, he sure as hell wasn’t leaving. He’d camp outside the door with the gun if he had to.   
  
The raven-haired man had more than a little experience with thugs and the like having grown up in downtown Detroit. There was no way he was leaving an injured Agni alone in a place like this.   
  
Agni leaned against the door frame, weak and injured and just wanting to sleep. With his concussion though, he knew he couldn’t.   
He just shook his head in defeat and stumbled inside, the floorboards protesting his movement. Following Agni into the tiny apartment, Sebastian silently closed and locked the door behind them. When the door was closed behind the two of them, he hovered uneasily in the centre of the room.    
First thing was to get out of these filthy clothes, so he went over to the corner of the room that had his bed, and began to change.   
  
When one man began to undress around another, the instinctive response was to turn away. This was what Agni naturally assumed Sebastian would do, and he proceeded to struggle for a long minute trying to remove his top with a broken rib. When he raised his arm, he felt the bone pressing into his chest cavity, and he had to bite back tears.    
“A-agh..”    
  
Then he realized there were eyes on him.   
  
When the Indian man had begun changing, he had intended to give the man some privacy, but as things were, his eyes stuck. The difficulty with removing the shirt almost seemed teasing as only a small section of the flesh beneath was revealed with each tug. Of course, such a notion was ridiculous.   
  
Even so, Sebastian couldn’t help but stare as his eyes traced Agni’s figure, taking in the musculature, bone structure, and dips and curves of the spine. The man was solidly built and, even with the obvious injuries, looked nothing less than stunning. It was only when he’d gotten caught staring that Sebastian came to realize how rude his stare might have seemed.   
  
Jumping a bit as Agni’s gaze landed on him, Sebastian quickly turned his eyes to the ground. His red tinted cheeks and blown pupils were no doubt noticeable. Swallowing sharply and clearing his throat a bit, the raven-haired man made certain his voice would come out evenly before speaking.   
  
“Would you like assistance with the shirt?” Sebastian knew the situation was likely unsalvageable, but trying to keep the topic off his staring might be viable. Shifting in place, the raven-haired man didn’t exactly want to look up until he got a reply.   
Agni was in too much pain to care or think too much into why Sebastian was staring. No doubt it was because of the disgusting state he was in. Like a trainwreck, one couldn’t look away.    
“P..please,” he mumbled, the pain making him nauseous. He went to sit on the bed so Sebastian could reach properly, then thought better of it.    
  
If only to add to poor Agni’s humiliation, he realized it would be best if he just knelt. He tried not to let Sebastian see his eyes well up with bloody tears a second time, simply bowing his head.    
_ Just get it over with, damn it.... _   
  
Taking a breath and giving a nod, Sebastian made his way over to where Agni had knelt. Even kneeling, the man’s tall stature was noticeable. Still, whatever was most comfortable for the silver-haired man would work.   
  
Gripping the base of the fabric and gently easing it off of the Indian, Sebastian had paid particular attention to how it tugged and pulled the flesh of the chest cavity. He’s done his best to minimize the pain caused by the action. Once it was done, the raven-haired man moved to retrieve a cloth and damp it with cold water. The bruising and swelling on Agni’s side was particularly noticeable from the front once the shirt was off.   
  
“This may sting,” swallowing a bit and taking another breath, the raven-haired man crouched down to press the cloth against the swelling. At very least the cool water would help it go down. Holding the cloth in place, Sebastian’s gaze had wandered over Agni’s torso before landing on his face. The caramel-toned man look nothing less than ashamed and the ruby tears collecting in his eyes only added to the effect.   
  
“It wasn’t your fault you know,” Sebastian tried to offer even a bit of comfort as he brought a hand up to wipe away the tears, “Some people are just terrible by nature it seems.” Of course that’s what he thought it was about.   
  
Being seen in such a state after failing to fight the thugs off must have felt awful. Then again, Sebastian wouldn’t exactly expect a vegan to fight first. Agni had likely tried to defuse the situation and been caught off guard. There was no real shame in it.   
  
Agni had lived a hard life, and his beautiful, dark body was marred with the remnants of it. Today would just be another set of scars he’d received for the crime of existing.    
Agni bit his trembling lower lip when Sebastian spoke, gazing into those near-crimson eyes of his. Agni hadn’t ever been so close to the man before, but by god, they were stunning irises. Even as miserable as he was, Agni felt his heart flutter at the sight.    
  
“I-I didn’t…want to hurt them. They were young,” he whispered, hissing when Sebastian brushed the bump where he’d broken his rib. He was also highly conscious of the scent of his shame, and shook his head in disbelief.    
Would Sebastian have respected him more if he’d beaten the living hell out of those boys?   
  
Maybe….but Agni had to stay true to himself.   
  


Seeing the caramel-toned man’s bare chest at close range for the first time, Sebastian had felt his brows furrowed at the amount of scarring. No one should have that many scars at such a young age. Especially not someone as kind and gentle as Agni. It made his blood boil just thinking about the people responsible for every mark.   
  
Giving a small smile at Agni’s reaction and being more gentle with the area that seemed more tender, Sebastian stood to get a bit more cool water on the towel. The raven-haired male didn’t care much about the smell. He’d smelled far worse in his lifetime. The scent of dead rats rotting under his father’s bed had yet to be beaten.   
  
“It takes more courage to show kindness when met with aggression than violence,” Sebastian’s words had come as he returned with the newly cooled towel, “However, I still think they got what they deserved.” Flashing another grin, the raven-haired man continued to gently press the towel against Agni’s side until the swelling went down a bit.   
  
Cracking his back as he stood once more, Sebastian wandered over to look for another pair of trousers for the Indian. Surely the current pair were uncomfortable. Having located something clean, he tossed them onto the bed next to Agni.   
  
“I’m sure you want to get out of those,” the raven-haired man explained lightly as he made certain to turn around this time, “Just say the word if you need help again….” The last sentence had come out a bit softer and Sebastian was a bit grateful for having already turned around. Otherwise the pink hue on his face would have been clearly visible.   
He doubted that Agni would need, or ask for, aid in that area. The man was clearly flustered already. Yet, Sebastian wouldn’t exactly complain if he did ask for help. Rolling his eyes at himself, the raven-haired man simply let out a silent sigh as he waited.   
  
Agni was content to suffer. He managed to peel off his trousers, and with Sebastian’s eyes averted, he removed his briefs as well. He became quite conscious of the fact that he was standing naked in a room with one very attractive man, and he might never be in this situation again.    
  
With his back also turned, he sat down on his bed and asked, “…Why…did you help me tonight, Mr. Sebastian…? Were you simply following your moral compass, or was there something in return that you desired from me?”    
The question had been asked with the expectation that Sebastian would respond with something like ‘money’, not sexual favours…but Agni quickly realized it may have been interpreted that way, and his whole body heated up red.    
  
“I–I don’t mean to insinuate!!” he uttered quickly. “I’m sure you’re not..that kind of man, e-er…” A homosexual, to be precise, but Agni could barely whisper the word.   
  


The sound of fabric hitting the ground with a dull thud was what indicated to the raven-haired man that Agni was managing on his own. Not having heard fabric being replaced however, is what had kept him from turning back around. Hearing what sounded like the Indian change where he was sitting had brought a few questions forward in his mind. And Agni’s own question hadn’t helped any.   
  
Sebastian’s form tensed a bit at the question, only to have to restrain a bit of laughter at the silver-haired man’s epiphany regarding the slightly suggestive hint in the question. Agni’s supposed innocence seemed to know no bounds. It would seem the Indian hadn’t even thought the question to be suggestive at first, then came the stammered explanation. At that, the raven-haired man felt his small grin slip away.   
  
“You dislike homosexuals I take it,” Sebastian had kept any bite his words might have held out of his reply. It was something he was used to encountering. Just as there were racists, the were homophobes. They were nowhere near as aggressive as the racists, but still there. Letting out a bit of a sigh, the raven-haired man shifted a bit in place.   
“I expect nothing in return Agni,” Sebastian continued in a slightly more serious tone, “I simply cannot tolerate the idea of someone hurting you.” He realized how up front such a statement might seem, but he couldn’t think of a better way to put it. While racists in general pissed him off, it was different when the aggression was pointed at the Indian man. More intense in nature.   
  
“What?” Agni practically squeaked, turning around instinctively once he’d pulled on his underpants.   
“I-I-I have nothing against homo–I mean– I hold no hatred in my heart towards anybody!” he cried. The fact that Sebastian might catch onto the fact that he was unequivocally gay was less worrisome than the fact that Sebastian could make such a harsh misjudgement of his character.    
  
“I love everyone,” he protested to the back of the man’s head, his cheeks heating up intensely. “I just…I just didn’t pick you to be that sort of man. Your job– with all the women, and your looks…I’m sorry if I have offended you, m-my friend.”    
He figured he might as well tell him the truth; Sebastian was the last person he wanted to misjudge him. But as he went to speak, the world spun out from under him again, and he collapsed against the bed.    
  
Agni’s eyes fluttered open weakly. Oh, gosh…how embarrassing. He’d fallen, and now another man was holding him up, so intimately.    
  
“Mr….Sebastian,” he muttered, letting his head lull towards him.    
“Oh, Mr. Sebastian…I’m gay. I’m so, so, gay,” he said with a weak laugh. “Hopelessly gay! But…I struggle, because of my faith…And if anybody knew what I am…a vegan foreigner…w-who also fancies gentlemen… I’d probably be d-d-dead within the week.”   
  
A thick red tear slipped down his cheek as he looked up at Sebastian miserably.    
“I’m sorry…”   
Sebastian blinked a few times in surprise both at Agni still being conscious as well as the confession. The look of surprise however, slowly melted into a soft smile as he wiped the ruby tear off of the Indian’s cheek.   
  
“Why are you apologizing?” the raven-haired man replied as he shifted to better support the large man’s form, “You can’t help being who you are, Agni.”   
  
Sebastian didn’t know much about the Hindu faith, but given Agni as an example, he’d say it was an exceedingly kind faith. The caramel-toned man was beyond sweet and would seem to have based his life in kindness. Something most people would not have the willpower to do.   
“I was deceptive,” Agni whispered. “I should have been honest, but...you’re the first person who has been kind to me, and I didn’t want to lose you as a friend...”    
His lower lip trembled, and a few more tears leaked down his cheek as Sebastian supported him.    
  
His white lashes fluttered again, foreboding his increasing lack of consciousness, and he couldn’t bear to gaze into those deep crimson eyes. It was better to simply close his own.    
“I’m sorry I ran out of your restaurant. Y-you had been so accommodating and thoughtful. Can you forgive me, f-f-for everything...?”

 

Sebastian was rather surprised by the idea of Agni being deceptive. Keeping something like that to one’s self wasn’t deceptive by his standards. It was cautious. And for good reason. And the idea that he was the only person so far to be kind to the Indian was annoying yet not entirely surprising.   
  
“There is nothing to forgive,” the raven-haired man replied as he shifted Agni to be reclining on the bed, “I should be apologizing for not returning to your cafe. I thought we’d offended you and that you no longer wished to see me.”   
Letting out a soft sigh at the confession, Sebastian had to admit that it felt a tad silly on his part. But with how close to sleep or unconsciousness Agni looked, he figured the discussion would be better completed whenever was more convenient   
  
“Sleep. I’ll watch the door.” Sebastian had accented his statement by resting Agni’s head on a pillow. Even if they were supposedly safe, he was going to keep watch. Some thugs would think to attack an injured man again in his own home. As such, the raven-haired man settled himself against a wall facing the door, gun in hand. If they tried to come for Agni again, they were getting a friendly bullet to the head.

  
Agni felt relief wash over him when Sebastian promised to keep him safe while he slept. A watery smile touched his bronze cheeks, and he sighed peacefully.    
“I am so grateful…to have met you,” he whispered, closing his eyes.   
He realized that at some point he’d grasped Sebastian’s hand in his own, and he wasn’t even lucid enough to be embarrassed.    
He’d apologize later. For now, poor Agni needed to rest.   
  
With Sebastian to watch over him, Agni went to sleep feeling safe for the first time since coming to this city. And to get more than four hours of sleep…what a treat that was.    
Sebastian was a blessing, and Agni was grateful with all his humble heart. How could he ever repay him?   
Distantly, Agni realized he hadn’t put food out for the cats. They’d certainly make their displeasure known to anyone who would listen….And that was going to be Sebastian.


End file.
